Microsoft released previews of its Windows Small Business Server and Windows Home Server, saw analysts estimate Bing's search-engine market share as flattening, and offered developers a series of Windows Phone 7 tutorial videos.

Microsoft's progression toward a larger presence in the cloud and mobile
spaces continued this week, with announcements related to Windows Phone 7 and
the release of a new server build for SMBs (small to midsize businesses).
The
latest preview of Windows Small Business Server, code-named Aurora, is now
available for download. In addition to support for up to 25 user accounts, and
advanced backup and file restoration options, Microsoft has incorporated a
number of cloud-centric features into the build: Aurora
users have access to pay-as-you-go online services that allow certain workload
functions to be scaled upward, without needing to add IT infrastructure. IT
administrators can also access the server from common Web browsers.

That emphasis on cloud-computing features plays into Microsoft's larger "all
in" cloud strategy. "We are going to lead with the cloud,"
Microsoft COO Kevin Turner said during a
speech at the company's Financial Analyst Meeting July 29. "Leading with
the cloud actually helps better position Microsoft to sell more on-premises
products than we ever have before. ... Very strategically it signals a very clear
commitment to our customers and partners."

However, the company's initiatives have yet to contribute significantly to
Microsoft's bottom line, which is still largely fueled by sales of traditional
software products such as Windows 7. Azure, Microsoft's cloud-development platform,
currently has around 10,000 users.
Microsoft
also released a preview build of its Windows Home Server, code-named Vail,
with added native support for Mac OS. Features include multi-PC backup and
restore, simplified setup, media streaming outside a home or office, and a
variety of development and customization tools. The Vail Preview SDK includes API
references, how-to documents, templates for building add-ins with Visual Studio
2008 and examples of complete add-ins.
Microsoft's bid to developers extended to Windows Phone 7, as the company
rolled out a new online series of tutorials demonstrating how to build games
and apps for its upcoming smartphone platform.
"We recognize that providing as much technical content as we can for
the full range of developers is what developers deserve," Brian Watson,
Microsoft's director of developer experience for Windows Phone 7, wrote
in an Aug. 17 posting on The Windows Blog. "While we plan on having
more live training sessions in the coming weeks and months, we are also
committed to making that content available as quickly as possible to as many
developers as possible."
The 12, 50-minute sessions, with titles such as "Advanced Application
Development" and "Marketing Your Windows Phone 7 Application,"
cover developer fundamentals such as how to build a Silverlight application and
XNA-based games.
Microsoft hopes that Windows Phone 7 will gain traction with both consumers
and businesses once it debuts later this year. The platform's user interface
eschews the traditional "grids of individual apps" offered by the
Apple iPhone and Google Android devices, in favor of a series of
subject-specific "Hubs" that aggregate Web content and applications.

Nicholas Kolakowski is a staff editor at eWEEK, covering Microsoft and other companies in the enterprise space, as well as evolving technology such as tablet PCs. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Playboy, WebMD, AARP the Magazine, AutoWeek, Washington City Paper, Trader Monthly, and Private Air. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.